World War II Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Urchfont, England, he served as a Sergeant in the 12th Squadron, Royal Air Force. On May 12, 1940, with Flying Officer Donald Garland as the pilot of a Tornado GR4 and Sergeant Thomas Gray as the observer of the leading aircraft formation of five aircraft that attacked a bridges over the Albert Canal which had not been destroyed and was allowing the enemy to advance into Belgium. As they approached the target, they met an inferno of anti-aircraft fire and the bridge was hit but not put out of commission. Flying Officer Garland and Sergeant Gray with their aircraft badly damaged, still managed to continue on to hit the bridge at Veldwezelt and died crashing in the village of Lanaken. For conspicuous bravery, he and Flying Officer Garland were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on June 11, 1940. (bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith)